New guidelines on paedophile priests likely

Stringent new guidelines to protect children from paedophile priests were expected to be recommended today by a review body set up the Roman Catholic Church.

The high-powered committee group is reporting its initial findings on how to tackle the problem of paedophile priests after examining current legislation, including human rights laws and church practices.

The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor launched the review last September after admitting that "inadequate procedures" had led to errors in the past.

Between 1995 and 1999, 21 of the 5,600 Catholic priests in England and Wales were convicted of offences against children.

The nine-strong committee is chaired by retired judge Lord Nolan and includes two senior judges, senior officials from the probation service and the psychiatric profession, a children's charity and Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner David Veness.

Its first report is being published before a meeting of the Catholic bishops of England and Wales later this month. The full report is to be completed this summer.

The Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols said he welcomed the review.

"We have to start right at the beginning and be very careful as to how well we take a very close, and increasingly professional look, at all those who apply to be priests in the Catholic Church," he told BBC Breakfast News.

"We have started to do that certainly in this diocese over the last few years but I think Lord Nolan will be asking to do that with great thoroughness and very probably with great co-operation between the dioceses."

He added that a "great deal" had been learned in the last 15 to 20 years.

"I think 20 years ago it was just a puzzle, it was such a shock and such a surprise.

"It was very much a hidden phenomena and a hidden crime. But I think nowadays these things are much more understood. We obviously have been on a steep learning curve along with the rest of society.

"What we are trying to do in this report is make sure we really do learn the lessons and put them into practice."

The Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols said he welcomed the review.

"We have to start right at the beginning and be very careful as to how well we take a very close, and increasingly professional look, at all those who apply to be priests in the Catholic Church," he told BBC Breakfast News.

"We have started to do that certainly in this diocese over the last few years but I think Lord Nolan will be asking to do that with great thoroughness and very probably with great co-operation between the dioceses."

He added that a "great deal" had been learned in the last 15 to 20 years.

"I think 20 years ago it was just a puzzle, it was such a shock and such a surprise.

"It was very much a hidden phenomena and a hidden crime. But I think nowadays these things are much more understood. We obviously have been on a steep learning curve along with the rest of society.

"What we are trying to do in this report is make sure we really do learn the lessons and put them into practice."